Bestchrom | GLP-1 Drugs and Their Purification Processes

GLP-1 and Its Analogues Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is an endogenous peptide hormone secreted by the intestine that promotes insulin secretion and inhibits glucagon secretion. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are structurally modified analogues of GLP-1, designed to elevate active GLP-1 levels in vivo and thereby lower blood glucose. Upstream Production Process GLP-1 drugs are peptide-based therapeutics; their upstream production primarily employs either chemical synthesis or microbial fermentation. Fermentation-based methods commonly utilize expression systems such as *E. coli*, yeast, or CHO cells—often involving fusion with affinity tags. This approach offers high safety, low cost, and scalability; however, the resulting peptide samples are compositionally complex, imposing higher demands on downstream chromatographic purification. Downstream Purification Process Downstream chromatographic processes vary depending on the specific fermentation platform, particularly at the capture step. GLP-1RA Peptides For relatively simple GLP-1RA peptides, a typical purification strategy begins with anion-exchange chromatography for crude purification—removing truncated impurities as well as bulk host cell proteins (HCP) and host cell DNA (HCD)—followed by reversed-phase chromatography for fine purification to eliminate isomers, degradation products, and other by-products.

The 'Supernova Antidiabetic and Weight-Loss Drug' GLP-1: Purification Strategy

Currently, GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide) has earned acclaim as a groundbreaking antidiabetic and weight-loss drug—rightfully dubbed one of the market’s 'supernovas' due to its exceptional clinical performance. GLP-1 exhibits an extremely short half-life of only 1–2 minutes. Its physiological functions are mediated primarily through binding to and activating the GLP-1 receptor (GLP-1R). In pancreatic islet cells, GLP-1R activation promotes β-cell proliferation, stimulates insulin synthesis and secretion, and suppresses glucagon synthesis and secretion. In gastrointestinal tissues, GLP-1R activation inhibits gastric acid secretion and gastrointestinal motility, delays gastric emptying, enhances satiety, and reduces food intake. [1] In 2020, the global GLP-1 drug market was valued at approximately USD 13.1 billion. By 2022, the total sales of globally approved GLP-1 peptide drugs had reached over USD 22.5 billion, with Ozempic (semaglutide) and Trulicity (dulaglutide) leading the market at USD 8.465 billion and USD 7.44 billion, respectively. Numerous domestic companies in China have entered this field, and clinical trial approvals continue to be announced. GLP-1 Production Routes GLP-1 consists of multiple amino acids linked via peptide bonds. Its manufacturing involves two major routes: biological fermentation and chemical synthesis. Biological fermentation relies on microbial expression systems—upstream production typically uses *E. coli* or yeast fermentation, while downstream processing includes multi-step chromatography (e.g., affinity coupling or enzymatic cleavage), ultrafiltration/diafiltration, and sterile filtration. Chemical synthesis mainly employs solid-phase or liquid-phase peptide synthesis—either using resin-bound supports or solution-phase coupling of amino acids. Liquid-phase synthesis often adopts a fragment condensation strategy. Downstream processing includes chromatography (e.g., ion exchange, hydrophobic interaction, reversed-phase), ultrafiltration (for concentration and buffer exchange), and sterile filtration—a standard workflow for peptide drug manufacturing. Recommended Purification Strategy for GLP-1 ● Purification of His-Tagged GLP-1 Analogues Affinity chromatography offers high specificity, typically yielding eluted fractions of high purity. When His-tagged GLP-1 analogues are expressed in *E. coli*, nickel-ion affinity chromatography using Bogen HP-NTA or HP-IDA resins is recommended for initial capture.

DuPont Launches New Silica Gel Material for Purifying GLP-1 Peptide Medicines

1 day ago

DuPont has launched AmberChrom™ SIL silica gel, a new reverse-phase solution designed to purify peptide therapeutics including GLP-1 receptor agonists. The material aims to enhance resolution, stability, and scalability for manufacturers optimizing yields in bioprocessing.

Stock Titan

2026-10-22

DuPont Launches New Silica Gel Material for Purifying GLP-1 Peptide Medicines

2026-10-22

DuPont de Nemours, Inc. (DD) Launches AmberChrom SIL for Peptide Purification

DuPont Launches New Silica Gel Material for Purifying GLP-1 Peptide Medicines

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